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I nodded with a smile, preparing to reply but Jesse interrupted.
“Woo!” he slammed his shot glass down on the bar top then threw his fists in the air before he poured himself another drink.
He glistened profusely, sweating now. Alcohol seeped through his pores. His hair appeared as if he had just showered. I busied myself as I wiped the surface of the bar down, beginning my cleaning process. I peeked to see if the gentlemen were still looking over the menu.
The most handsome one was watching me with great intent while smirking. His piercing blue eyes focused keenly on my every move. My cheeks began to heat with embarrassment. The man ran his fingers through his dark hair before his eyes slowly peeled away from me. He focused his attention back to his friends. Moments later, he waved me over with a nod of his head, and that is when I realized I had never turned away from my gaze.
I shook off my feeling, approaching the table. The four of them provided me their full attention as they placed their orders, one by one. Nodding, I repeated the order back before I returned to the bar, making their drinks as quickly as possible. This meant my night was almost over and I could not wait to leave.
I delivered their order to them before performing a final walk through of the dining area, making sure the area was spotless. I started wiping off the table and chairs that were closest to them. As I worked my way to the middle of the room, my belligerent boss marched out from behind the bar, making a beeline for me. I paused, gripping the rag tightly in my palm.
The moment he approached, he leaned forward about an inch away from my face. “I want to see you in my office immediately,” he exhaled his alcohol infused breath directly into my nostrils.
I winced at the smell. Knowing my night was about to take an ugly turn, I sighed. Every time he wanted to see me in his office, he would try to touch me. I would always reject, causing him to become irate. Then, the rest of my night would be horrendous since he was insulted that I did not give him the attention he desired. I was not the only employee he did this to, but it did not make it right.
I followed him down the long hallway to his office. He held the door open for me to walk in ahead of him. Just as I nervously stepped through the threshold, he closed the door, locking it behind him. Slowly approaching me, he began choking back watery burps as he gave a predatory smile. I was scared this time, but he shocked me. He did not try to touch me. Instead, he did something I did not see coming.
“Listen to me bitch,” he hiccupped while swaying, “how dare you not seat those men?” He chuckled, “Do you know who they are?”
“No,” I shook my head, “do you?”
He laughed menacingly, “They are very wealthy businessmen who like to come in on your nights off.”
I did not normally work on Wednesdays, so I just let him speak while I remained silent.
“They are some of my best customers,” he resumed, “and I will not allow you to be the reason they do not return.”
“I'm sorry,” I only agreed with him to get out of the office unscathed. “I had no idea,” I sighed. “Since it was late and we were about to close, I--."
“I don't give a flying fuck if we had been closed for an hour,” he interrupted me, “when those men show up, we open for them!”
“I'm sorry, Jesse,” I began to tear up, “I won't let it happen again.”
He laughed boisterously, “Oh bitch, I know it won't.”
I gasped, covering my mouth to conceal my terror. His tone instilled fear into me. He did not stop there.
“You are fired!” he snapped as he reached toward me, attempting to remove my apron. “Give me your apron and get out of my bar!”
“But--,” I tried to reason with him as I wiggled away from him, taking a step backward.
“I said take off your apron,” he gurgled on a burp as he struggled to grab for me again.
I finally wrapped my hands around my waist, freeing it from my body. I slid my hand in the pocket to take my tips out, but Jesse grabbed my wrist, snarling.
“Everything in that apron belongs to me too!” he bellowed, turning red with anger as he began to grind his teeth.
“But my tips--,” I cried, reaching for my apron.
Holding it behind his back, he shouted as loudly as he could, “Get out of my bar, Isabelle!”
I choked back tears as I hurried to my locker, grabbing my handbag, then headed for the office door. Forgetting he locked it, I attempted to turn the knob, jiggling the handle through my tears. He crept toward me, but I managed to unlock it seconds before he got his hands on me.
It was then that I felt his hand on the back side of my thigh. He began to howl with laughter. I finally got the door open and ran down the hallway, then through the dining room. The man at the bar was long gone and the gentlemen at the table were staring in my direction as I passed them, sprinting out the front door as fast as my legs would carry me.
When I arrived at my apartment, my roommate, Tanya, was sitting on the living room couch eating pizza while watching a movie. She and I met at work months ago, becoming instant best friends. Recently, she had found a better job as an executive personal assistant. She seemed happier since she started working there, and I was happy for her.
I trudged through the living room, dramatically throwing myself backwards into a chair next to the couch she was stretched out on. Running my fingers through my hair as I freed my ponytail, I could feel the stress radiating off my body.
